Imprinting device for bag filling apparatus



Dec. 19 1967 s. HERSH ETAL IMPRINTING DEVICE FOR BAG FILLING APPARATUSFiled May 6, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 n INVENTORS I "LAWRENCE .SI HERSHLS'L/E A. FISH ATTORNiZ Dec. 19, 1967 S. HERSH ETAL Filed May 6, 1966POWER SOURCE POWER SOURCE 3 $heetsSheet 2 42 e4 26 52c 40 84 68 260 30IO 4 no I I2 22 16 f F/G. 4 J

Dec. 19, 1967 L. s. HERSH ETAL IMPRINTING DEVICE FOR BAG FILLINGAPPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 6, 1966 QLAWRENCE s. HERSH LESLIEA. FISH United States Patent 3,358,414 IMPRINTING DEVICE FOR BAG FILLINGAPPARATUS Lawrence S. Hersh, 483 S. 21st St., Easton, Pa. 18942,

and Leslie A. Fish, 180 Bowers Ave., Phillipsburg, NJ. 08865 Filed May6, 1966, Ser. No. 548,236 Claims. (Cl. 53-14) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThis invention relates to a printing apparatus for a wrapping machineand, more particularly, to an apparatus and method which combines,simultaneously, a printing and wrapping operation.

At the present time the packaging of articles, especially foods,necessitates a price marking on the packaged article at some stageduring the packaging process. Usually, this is accomplished by manuallystamping the finished packaged article at the place where the packagedarticles are displayed for sale. This method of price making is oftentime-consuming and expensive when considering that relatively largenumbers of packaged articles must be individually stamped.

Another method has been lately devised in which the wrapping materialfor the specific article is stamped with a pricemarking prior tothewrapping operation. This method presents the problem of providingmachinery for a separate printing operation prior to the wrappingoperation, as well as the problem of positioning the printed mark on thewrapping medium so that it will be visible on the finished wrappedarticle.

A primary object, therefore, of this invention is to overcome theabove-mentioned obsticles by providing a unique method for printing onpackaged articles by combining, simultaneously, the printing andpackaging operations.

' Another object of this invention is to provide an imprinting apparatuswherein the printing operation is performed on the packaged article bythe packaging apparatus regardless of whether the article is of a hardor soft consistency.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus whichautomatically and continuously loads material articles into separateflexible bags and which imprints suitable indicia on each bag at thetime each bag is being filled.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an apparatuswhich feeds automatically and continuously a plurality of materialarticles into separate, flexible bags for each article, each baggingoperation being accompanied by an imprinting operation on the filled bagand the two operations being performed in an extremely short time periodof less than one second.

Briefly, a preferred embodiment of this invention for carrying out theabove-mentioned objects is arranged to cooperate with a stack or pile ofpackaging bags of poly- 3,358,414 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 ethylenematerial or the like. Adjacent the stack of bags is a conveyor means forplacing the material article into a main scoop member. The topmost bagon the stack is opened by a suitable air jet means allowing the scoopmember to be directed into the open bag. The scoop member has associatedtherewith a movable secondary scoop element which is also directed tothe interior of the bag along with the main scoop member. The bag isheld open in a taut configuration by expansion of both scoop membersinvolving a relative movement therebetween within the bag. During thetime a material article is automatically positioned in the main scoopand the latter is shifted relative to the article which, in turn, ispushed into the opened bag. According to the principle of this inventionan imprinting mechanism is connected to the scoop member and is arrangedto cooperate therewith by means of a novel linkage. The imprintingmechanism includes a printing member which is caused to shift toward thearea of the bag overlying one of the scoop members and imprinting on thesame when the scoop members shift to bring the bag over the materialarticle. The imprinting member is then raised from the filling bag whileat the same time the scoop members complete their shift during whichthey effect a relative movement therebetween contracting an amountnecessary to allow the scoope member to withdraw from the bag. Once thescoop members and their associated parts have cleared the conveyormeans, the printed package is then clear to move along the conveyormeans for further handling.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a reading of aspecification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus embodied by the principle of thisinvention;

FIGS. 2-4 are elevational views showing the various stages in the cycleof operation of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the imprinting device shown mounted onone of the scoop members; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the linkage connecting theimprinting device to one of the scoop members.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, there is shown an arrangement of theinvention for use with a material article flight conveyor 2 constructedin accordance with well known principles in the art. For purposes ofillustration the material has been designated as a loaf of bread 4, butit is understood other kinds of articles may be readily employed whereit is customary that such articles be wrapped. The conveyor tray 2containing the separate loaves of bread 4 is inclined downwardly at itsopen or mouth end and this inclined portion 6 abuts against a flat tableor support member 8. Arranged adjacent one side of the table 8 is astack of transparent wrapping bags of polyethylene or the like. Each ofthe bags 10 has at its mouth portion two spaced holes adapted to slideover upstanding pin members 12 and 14. The holes in the bag are veryclose to the edge thereof which allows each bag to be separated from thepins 12 and 14 with a slight force to break the weakened portion.Adjacent the other side of the table 8 and in alignment with the stackof bags 10 is a lower scoop member 16 which is supported adjacent thetable 8 by shaft 18 which can be reciprocated by a known power sourcesuch as a motor 20 or the like. The scoop is thus caused to traverse thetable area 8 for cooperation with the stacked bags 10 as will beexplained more fully below. At the rear portion of the scoop memherthere is provided a bracket 22 having a bushing 24 for pivotallysupporting an elongated bell crank member 26. The forward or right handend of the bell crank member 26 is secured to a bracket plate 28 bysuitable bolt and screw means. The bracket plate 28 is welded to the topportion of an upper scoop platen member 30, the function of which willbe described more fully below.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the bracket plate 28 is provided with twoupstanding plates 32, 34, each of which is provided with a pair ofspaced parallel slots 36. A pair of L-shaped support members 40 havetheir long arms secured to the plates 32, 34 through the appropriateslots 36 by suitable bolt means. The length of the slots allows theL-shaped members to be adjusted in a vertical direction to vary thedistance between the upper scoop and the imprinting device to bedescribed next. The ends of the short arms of the L-shaped members 40pivotally support the medial portions of a parallel pair of arms 42,respectively, by means of one pair of the several pairs of holes 44. Thearms 42 define a bracket member 46, the forward or right hand end ofwhich supports an imprinting device 48 which will be more fullyexplained below. At the rear remaining end of the bracket 46 a crosspiece support 50 connects the members 42. By means of a pivotal linkagethe cross piece 50 is connected to bell crank member 26 and the lowerscoop 16 for the purpose of providing relative movement between theupper scoop member 30 and the imprinting device 48. Specifically, thelinkage comprises a pair of turn bolts 52a, 52b pivotally secured bysuitable extension members 52' to the ends of a bar member 54 which isrotatably supported intermediate its ends in a bracket structure 56secured to the medial portion of hell crank member 26 by a suitablebracing structure 58 as best shown in FIG. 6. The other ends of the turnbolts 52a, 52b are pivotally connected by suitable screws to the crosspiece 50 and one side of the lower scoop member 16 respectively. Theturn bolts 52a, 52b, together with the bolt means in slots 36 on plates32, 34, provide for both a rough and fine adjustment of the distancebetween the bottom of the imprinting device and the upper scoop member30. Thus, for a rough adjustment, the bolt means may be appropriatelyshifted within the slots 36 and for fine adjustments the turnscrews 52may be employed.

The imprinting device 48 used with this invention is of the typedisclosed in applicants copending application Ser. No. 402,804, filedOct. 9, 1964 and now abandoned, and as a separate structure forms nopart of this invention. A complete and detailed description of theimprinting device 48 can be found in applicants copending applicationabove mentioned, thus, for the present purpose, it will suflice to giveonly a general description. As shown in FIG. 5, a mounting bracket 60 isfixedly secured to one end of member 42 by suitable screw means. Securedin the same manner to one end of member 44 is a somewhat similarmounting plate bracket 62. Together the mounting plate brackets 60, 62rotatably support an inking roller 64 by means of the extension members66. Underlying the inking roller is a suitable guard plate 68. Supportedon the top portion of the mounting plate 62 is a rotary solenoid havinga shaft element 72 which is rigidly secured to one end of a drive arm74. The other end of the drive arm 74 is rotatably supported by themedial portion of a rod member 76 which connects the upper ends of twospaced parallel support members 78. The lower ends of these members 78rotatably support a rod member 80 having a printing wheel 82 rigidlysupported thereon. The ends of the rod member 82 extend beyond thedimensions of the support members 78 in order to accommodate suitableratchet wheel members 84 for selecting various positions of the printingwheel 82. Energization of the solenoid 70 causes the drive arm 74 torotate about shaft 72 thereby forcing the support member 78 by means ofrod member 76 in a downwardly curved direction. The inking wheel 64being in the path of the moving printing wheel 82 causes the printingwheel to be inked before it reaches the extent of its downward stroke.The printing roller is then returned to its original position by theforce of a spring 86 connecting a cross piece member 88 fixedlysupported by mounting plates 60, 62 to the solenoid shaft 72 and causingthe latter to rotate opposite to its energized direction.

Rotary movement is imparted to the bell crank member 26 by means of acam faced gear member 98 as shown in FIGS 2-4. The left hand end 26a ofthe bell crank 26 is biased by a suitable damping means 100 against thecam surface of the gear 98. It will be seen that a suitable motor Mdrives the gear 98 which is mechanically connected to a switch actuatingmember 102 for actuating the switch for the rotary solenoid 70. Further,the shaft 18 is provided with an axial bore 106, as shown in FIGS. 2-4,through which extends a rod member 108 which terminates in a brace orpush member 110, the function of which will be explained later. Thebrace and rod structure move relative to the shaft 18 and for thispurpose suitable bearings 112 are provided within the bore 106 to allowthe shaft 18 to move with respect to the rod 108.

The operation of the invention is as follows. When the lower scoopmember 16 is at its extreme left position as shown in FIG. 2, it isready to begin a cycle of operation. The topmost bag 10 in the stackadjacent the conveyor 2 is opened by an air jet stream emanating from aport I suitably located adjacent the mouth of the topmost bag. The lowerscoop member 16 is then reciprocated by shaft 18 toward the open mouthof the topmost bag 10. While this movement is imparted to the lowerscoop member a concomitant rotation is imparted to the cam gear 98 bythe motor M causing the bell crank member 26 to pivot about its support24 in a direction to lower the upper scoop member 30. The upper scoopmember 30 moves toward the lower scoop member 16 effecting a scissorsmovement as indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 3. While the distancebetween the upper and lower scoop members is lessened, both membersenter the opened bag 10 as shown in FIG. 3. When the scoop members 16,30 reach the extent of their travel, the cam gear 98 continues to rotatecausing the extension member 26a of the bell crank 26 to rotate in acounter direction about the pivot 24 thereby raising the upper scoopmember 30. Both the upper and lower scoop members 30, 16 then lengthenthe distance between them in a scissors movement within the bag causingthe same to become taut in its opened position as shown in FIG. 4. Atthis time the flight conveyor 2 deposits the loaf of bread 4 in the rearportion of the lower scoop member 16. The shaft 18 then reciprocates inthe opposite direction, or to the left, bringing the scoop members 16,30 with the open bag over the material article 4. While the scoop member16 is moving to the left, the loaf of bread 4 is, in effect, pushed intothe open bag 10 by means of the brace member 106 which is supported bythe rod 110 extending through the bore 108 of the shaft 18. The bearings112 in the bore allow the shaft 18 to reciprocate without affecting themovement of rod 110. The brace member 106 is stationary for a portion ofthe return movement of the scoop 16, but moves to the right during thelatter portion of the operating cycle for pushing the bread 4 into thebag 10.

Before the scoop member 16 has reached its extent of return travel,however, and While the bag 10 is taut around the upper and lower scoopmembers, which are at their fully expanded position with respect to eachother, the entire imprinting device 48 supported by mounting plates 60,62 is caused to swing downwardly by reason of the pivoted supportingbracket 46. This latter motion is effected by the linkage 52a, 52b and54 connecting the lower scoop 16, the upper scoop 30, the bell crankmember 26 and the bracket 46. As shown in FIG. 4, when the upper scoopmember 30 is traveling in an upward direction as indicated by the arrow,the bell crank 26 is .5 also traveling in an upward direction about itspivot 24 thus causing the right hand end of the bar 54 to move in thesame upward direction relative to the downward direction experienced bythe left hand end of the bar 54. This results in the upward movement ofthe turn bolt 52a against the bracket 46 causing the same to pivot in aclockwise direction about its support 40. The imprinting device on theright hand end of the bracket 46 then moves downward to within a verysmall distance from the bag 10. As previously mentioned, the distancebetween the imprinting device 48 andvthe upper scoop 30 can be adjustedby means of the turn bolts 52a, 52b. The actuating switch 102 is nowrotated by the cam gear 98 to a position where it actuates the switchfor energizing the rotary solenoid 70 of the imprinting device. Thiscauses the printing roller 82 to be driven downward by the arm 74 pastthe inking roller 64 to a position in contact with the top of the bagwhich, at this point, is supported by the upper scoop member 30. Thus, aprinting mark indicating price, weight or other appropriate informationis made on the bag while the loaf of bread 4 is positioned part way inthe bag. With continued rotation of the cam gear 98, the bell crankmember 26 is again caused to rotate in an opposite direction about itspivot 24 thereby lowering the upper scoop member 30 and releasingtension on the bag 10. This latter movement also acts on the linkage52a- 52b and 54 causing the turn bolt 52a to assume a downward directionfor imparting a counterclockwise movement to the bracket 46 and raisingthe imprinting device 48 upwardly away from the bag 10. Thus, both theimprinting device and the upper scoop eflect a scissors movement. Theswitch actuating member 102 is positioned with respect to the cam gear98 such that it actuates the solenoid switch after the downward swing ofthe imprinting device 48 thus assuring firm contact with the bag 10 bythe subsequent downward swing of the printing roller 82.

With the upper scoop member 30 now in its lowered position and theimprinting device 48 in its raised position, the lower scoop member 16continues its return travel withdrawing itself and the upper scoop 30from the bag 10. During the last phase of the operating cycle the loafof bread 4 is pushed completely in the bag 10 by force of the forwardmovement of the brace 106 as previously explained. The filled bag thendrops to the table 8 to continue along the conveyor 2 for a subsequentsealing operation.

It has been found that an entire cycle of operation can be effected inless than one second since both the packaging and printing operation areperformed by a unitary structure which operatively connects theimprinting device support 46 to the upper and lower scoop members 30,16.

It is to be understood that the power source 20, the motor M and the airjet port I will be controlled by suitable control devices known to thoseskilled in the art for effecting a predetermined sequence of operation.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been depicted anddescribed, it will be apparent that these embodiments are illustrativein nature and that a number of modifications in the apparatus andvariations in its end use may be effected without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a bag loading machine comprising means for supportinga stack of flexible bags, means for inflating the topmost bag in saidstack, a movable support, a first means carried on said support andpenetrating said inflated bag and printing means carried on said supportand having a drive means, said drive means responsive to movement ofsaid first means for driving said printing means to imprint saidinflated bag when said first means penetrates said inflated bag.

2. In combination, a bag loading machine comprising means for supportinga stack of flexible bags, means for inflating one of a plurality of theflexible bags, a movable support, a first means carried on said supportand penetrating said inflated bag and printing means carried on saidsupport having a drive means, said drive means responsive to movement ofsaid first means for driving said printing means to imprint saidinflated bag when said first means penetrates said inflated bag.

3. In combination, a bag loading machine comprising means for supportinga stack of flexible bags, means for inflating the topmost bag, a movablesupport, a pair of scoop members carried on said support, means fordriving said members within the interior of said inflated bag, linkagemeans responsive to said drive means for moving said scoop membersrelative to each other, and printing means carried on said supporthaving means responsive to movement of said linkage means for imprintingindicia on said inflated bag when said scoop members are in the interiorof said bag.

4. In combination, a bag loading machine comprising means for supportinga stack of flexible bags, means for inflating the topmost bag in saidstack, a movable support, scoop means carried on said support forpenetrating said inflated bag, and power means connecting said scoopmeans to a printing means, said printing means having means responsiveto movement of said power means for imprinting said inflated bag whensaid scoop means penetrates said inflated bag.

5. In combination, a bag loading machine comprising means for supportinga stack of flexible bags, means for inflating the topmost bag in saidstack, a movable support, a pair of scoop members carried on saidsupport, means for driving said scoop members within the interior ofsaid inflated bag, means for holding a material article in one of saidscoop members, linkage means responsive to said drive means for movingsaid scoop members relative to each other to thereby engage the innersurface of said inflated bag, and printing means having means responsiveto movement of said linkage means for imprinting indicia on saidinflated bag in an area overlying one of said scoop members.

6. In combination, a bag loading machine comprising means for supportinga stack of flexible bags, means for inflating the topmost bag in saidstack, a movable support, a pair of scoop members carried on saidsupport, means for moving said scoop members Within the interior of saidinflated bag, means for feeding a material article to one of said scoopmembers, means for holding said material article in said one of saidscoop members during movement thereof, and printing means connected tosaid scoop members, said printing means having means responsive tomovement of said scoop members for imprinting indicia on said inflatedbag.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said means responsive tomovement of said scoop members includes adjustment means for varying thedistance between said printing means and said scoop members.

8. A method for filling flexible bags arranged in a stack comprising thesteps of inflating the topmost bag, inserting a scoop means in theopened bag, depositing a material article in said scoop means, holdingsaid article in a stationary position, moving said scoop means to movesaid bag over said article, and printing indicia on said bag while saidscoop means is moving.

9. A method for filling flexible bags arranged in a stack comprising thesteps of inflating the topmost bag of said stack supporting the openedbag substantially around the inner surface of said bag with a scoopmember, moving said scoop member and said bag supported thereon over amaterial article, and printing indicia on the outside surface of saidbag when said material article is in said bag.

8 10. A method for filling flexible bags arranged in a -References Citedstack comprising the steps of inflating the topmost bag UNITED STATESPATENTS in said stack, supporting the opened bag along a portion 918 4974/1909 Bates 101426 of the inner surface thereof with a scoop member de-1870825 8/1932 spragug 101 426 positing a material article in said scoopmember, holding 5 2732989 1/1956 Harker X said article in a stationaryposition, and moving said scoop 2:853:842 8/1958 Vrcdenbu'rg 53 384member with said bag supported thereon over said article, 3,190,0546/1965 Arnold et 53 131 printing indicia on the outside surface of saidbag over- 3,228,173 1/1966 Reynolds 53 385 lying said scoop member whensaid article is in said bag, and releasing said scoop member fromsupporting said 10 TRAVIS MCGEHEE, Primary Examinerba to withdraw saidmember from said bag. R. L, FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.

8. A METHOD FOR FILLING FLEXIBLE BAGS ARRANGED IN A STACK COMPRISING THESTEPS OF INFLATING THE TOPMOST BAG, INSERTING A SCOOP MEANS IN THEOPENED BAG, DEPOSITING A MATERIAL ARTICLE IN SAID SCOOP MEANS, HOLDINGSAID ARTICLE IN A STATIONARY POSITION, MOVING SAID SCOOP MEANS TO MOVESAID BAG OVER SAID ARTICLE, AND PRINTING INDICIA ON SAID BAG WHILE SAIDSCOOP MEANS IN MOVING.